Georgia @ Michigan St. preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 20, 2015 ) Georgia 63, Michigan St 70

Michigan State's trip to Hawaii got off to a rocky start Monday with a loss to Virginia Tech. The third-ranked Spartans continue play at the Maui Invitational on Tuesday as they face Georgia, which also lost its opener in this event.

Michigan State had won its previous three games - a 53-point triumph over Binghamton, a quality win over a ranked Seton Hall team and a 48-point rout of Charleston Southern - before running into an undefeated Hokies squad. The Spartans shot barely over 40 percent from the floor and committed 16 turnovers while allowing Virginia Tech to make 10-of-21 from 3-point range. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs suffered their first loss Monday, absorbing an 80-61 defeat to Dayton as the team was doomed by 4-of-16 3-point shooting, 9-of-17 foul shooting and 23 turnovers. None of the Georgia starters scored more than six points and only Tye Fagan (11 points on 5-of-5 shooting off the bench) had more than seven.

TV: 2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2

ABOUT GEORGIA (4-1): Georgia trailed by 18 at halftime against Dayton as the team's starters never got going, finishing as a quintet with a combined 23 points, 13 rebounds and two assists. "Just playing at this level, this intensity, the amount of fans that are into it, the pressure that's on to us - it's not really any pressure - but just what's at stake at this level, especially in this Maui Invitational, it's a first for all of us," Fagan said. "Maybe we weren't used to that." Anthony Edwards and Rayshaun Hammonds, who came into the game averaging a combined 36.6 points, scored 11 points on 4-of-14 shooting between them with Hammonds fouling out in just 14 minutes.

ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE (3-2): Aaron Henry was the only Spartan to score in double figures in Monday's affair, posting 18 points, five rebounds, three assists and two blocks in a solid all-around effort. Xavier Tillman pulled down 10-plus rebounds for the third straight game, finishing with a season-high 14 boards to go with his nine points and three assists. Cassius Winston, Michigan State's preseason All-American guard, had seven points on Monday and is shooting under 39 percent for the season.

TIP-INS

1. Spartans F Malik Hall fouled out in eight minutes Monday.

2. Since making 4-of-7 3-pointers in the season opener, Edwards is 3-of-17 from beyond the arc.

3. After Michigan State leaves Maui, its first game is against No. 1 Duke on Dec. 3.

PREDICTION: Michigan State 80, Georgia 62